Bevelling apparatus for pipe re-facing machine

Abstract

In an improvement to a pipe re-facing machine having a rotatable flange plate and a coaxially-mounted collar rotatable with and longitudinally movable relative to the flange plate, a support bracket projects from the flange plate, and a support block is retainingly mounted to and movable relative to the support bracket in an angled radial direction. The support block is adapted to receive a tool holder carrying a cutting element. An actuating mechanism is engageable with the support block such that longitudinal movement of the collar will move the support block relative to the support bracket. The actuating mechanism can thus move the cutting element in an angled direction relative to the axis of a tubular workpiece, thereby enabling machining of a bevelled edge on an annular shoulder of a tubular workpiece non-rotatably mounted to the re-facing machine by longitudinally moving the collar while rotating the flange plate.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A bevelling apparatus, for use in association with a pipe-refacing machine of the type having:
 (a) a tubular shaft rotatable about a rotational axis; 
 (b) a flange plate mounted to one end of the tubular shaft and rotatable therewith, said flange plate having an outer face perpendicular to the rotational axis and having an opening through which the rotational axis passes; 
 (c) a stationary and non-rotatable adapter disposed at least partially within the tubular shaft proximal to the opening in the flange plate, for receiving a threaded end of a tubular workpiece such that the longitudinal axis of the workpiece is coincident with the rotational axis; and 
 (d) a tubular collar coaxially disposed around the tubular shaft so as to be rotatable therewith and movable relative thereto in a direction parallel to the rotational axis; 
 
       wherein said bevelling apparatus comprises:
 (e) a support bracket mountable to the flange plate of a re-facing machine so as to project from the outer face of said flange plate; 
 (f) a support block adapted to receive a tool holder, said support block being retainingly mounted to the support bracket so as to be movable relative to the support bracket in an angled radial direction forming an acute angle relative to a radially-outermost portion of the flange plate, with said acute angle corresponding to the bevel angle of a bevelled edge to be machined or re-faced on an annular shoulder of a tubular workpiece mounted to the adapter of the re-facing machine; and 
 (g) actuating means for effecting angled radial movement of the support block relative to the support bracket. 
 
     
     
       2. The bevelling apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the support bracket comprises a base plate having a raised section contoured for sliding engagement with a mating recess in the support block. 
     
     
       3. The bevelling apparatus as in  claim 2 , wherein the raised section is in the form of a parallelepiped of trapezoidal cross-section. 
     
     
       4. The bevelling apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the support bracket comprises a contoured rail member oriented parallel to the desired bevel angle to be machined on an annular shoulder of a tubular workpiece, and wherein the support block comprises a runner block contoured for retainingly mating engagement with the rail member so as to be movable along the rail member. 
     
     
       5. The bevelling apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the actuating means comprises an actuator arm operatively engageable with the support block, said actuator arm being connected to a slide bracket extending through and radially movable within a radial slot through the flange plate, said slide bracket having a first wedge component operatively engageable with a second wedge component associated with the tubular collar of the re-facing machine, such that longitudinal movement of the tubular collar will cause the second wedge component to urge the first wedge component and the slide bracket in a radial direction, thereby causing the actuator arm to move the support block relative to the support bracket. 
     
     
       6. The bevelling apparatus as in  claim 5 , wherein the actuator arm has an angled outer section transversely movable between a pair of guide rollers associated with the support block. 
     
     
       7. The bevelling apparatus as in  claim 1 , wherein the actuating means comprises a rigid bar extending through a radial slot in the flange plate, said rigid bar being swivellingly mounted at one end to the support block and at the other end to the tubular collar, such that longitudinal movement of the tubular collar will move the support block relative to the support bracket. 
     
     
       8. The bevelling apparatus as in  claim 1 , further comprising biasing means biasing the support block in an angled radial direction away from the rotational axis. 
     
     
       9. The bevelling apparatus as in  claim 8 , wherein the biasing means comprises a helical spring. 
     
     
       10. In a pipe-refacing machine of the type having:
 (a) a tubular shaft rotatable about a rotational axis; 
 (b) a flange plate mounted to one end of the tubular shaft and rotatable therewith, said flange plate having an outer face perpendicular to the rotational axis and having an opening through which the rotational axis passes; 
 (c) a stationary and non-rotatable adapter disposed at least partially within the tubular shaft proximal to the opening in the flange plate, for receiving a threaded end of a tubular workpiece such that the longitudinal axis of the workpiece is coincident with the rotational axis; and 
 (d) a tubular collar coaxially disposed around the tubular shaft so as to be rotatable therewith and movable relative thereto in a direction parallel to the rotational axis; 
 
       the improvement comprising:
 (e) a support bracket projecting from the outer face of the flange plate; 
 (f) a support block adapted to receive a tool holder, said support block being retainingly mounted to the support bracket so as to be movable relative to the support bracket in an angled radial direction forming an acute angle relative to a radially-outermost portion of the flange plate, with said acute angle corresponding to the bevel angle of a bevelled edge to be machined or re-faced on an annular shoulder of a tubular workpiece mounted to the adapter; and 
 (g) actuating means for effecting angled radial movement of the support block relative to the support bracket. 
 
     
     
       11. The improvement defined in  claim 10 , wherein the support bracket comprises a base plate having a raised section contoured for sliding engagement with a mating recess in the support block. 
     
     
       12. The improvement defined in  claim 11 , wherein the raised section is in the form of a parallelepiped of trapezoidal cross-section. 
     
     
       13. The improvement defined in  claim 10 , wherein the support bracket comprises a contoured rail member oriented parallel to the desired bevel angle to be machined on an annular shoulder of a tubular workpiece, and wherein the support block comprises a runner block contoured for retainingly mating engagement with the rail member so as to be movable along the rail member. 
     
     
       14. The improvement defined in  claim 10 , wherein the actuating means comprises an actuator arm operatively engageable with the support block, said actuator arm being connected to a slide bracket extending through and radially movable within a radial slot through the flange plate, said slide bracket having a first wedge component operatively engageable with a second wedge component associated with the tubular collar, such that longitudinal movement of the tubular collar will cause the second wedge component to urge the first wedge component and the slide bracket in a radial direction, thereby causing the actuator arm to move the support block relative to the support bracket. 
     
     
       15. The improvement defined in  claim 14 , wherein the actuator arm has an angled outer section transversely movable between a pair of guide rollers associated with the support block. 
     
     
       16. The improvement defined in  claim 10 , wherein the actuating means comprises a rigid bar extending through a radial slot in the flange plate, said rigid bar being swivellingly mounted at one end to the support block and at the other end to the tubular collar, such that longitudinal movement of the tubular collar will move the support block relative to the support bracket. 
     
     
       17. The improvement defined in  claim 10 , further comprising biasing means biasing the support block in an angled radial direction away from the rotational axis. 
     
     
       18. The improvement defined in  claim 17 , wherein the biasing means comprises a helical spring.